Step 1 of 13 7% Dear Parents, עמו''ש We hope you and your family are enjoying the summer in the best of health. It is our pleasure to extend a hearty ברוכים הבאים to you as we embark on what will בע"ה be a year of עלי' בכל מילי דשמיא. We have been working diligently to plan for the coming year, and present to you our ‘Policies and Guidelines’. The purpose of this handbook is to familiarize you with our goals, policies and procedures in many vital areas that will impact the חינוך of your child. We are dedicated to teaching תורה and תורה values to our תלמידים and imbuing them with proper מידות, דרך ארץ and כבוד הבריות. We strive to provide a thorough and well-balanced curriculum in both לימודי קודש and לימודי חול; however, the Cheder is more than a mere educational institution. Within our walls, our תלמידים are taught a דרך החיים – and to that effect, we are committed to creating an atmosphere conducive to the development of wholesome בני תורה, who take pride in who they are and all of their accomplishments. Our aim is to create a learning environment in which our תלמידים will grow in אהבת תורה and יראת שמים, while maintaining a healthy self-image and a positive attitude. To achieve success, however, our commitment alone is not enough. Your understanding, cooperation and communication with us, and your trust – is crucial to forming a successful partnership that will yield positive results. We look forward to working together with you to help every child maximize his potential in all areas. Please take a few minutes to review all the material enclosed. We have included new items and details, as well as additions to some old topics and issues. As always, your comments and suggestions are always welcomed and appreciated. Please note that this is an abridged ‘web’ form of the Policies and Guidelines. We encourage our parents to look over the complete Policies and Guidelines – which is available upon request from the Cheder Main Office. Looking forward to greeting our precious kinderlach very soon! הצלחה רבה וכטו"ס, Rabbi Dovid Engel, מנהל Rabbi Dov Gopin, סגן מנהל Mrs. B. Ehrentreu, General Studies Supervisor ATTENDANCE Continuity in learning is extremely important to the educational process. Parents are encouraged to ensure that their children attend Cheder every day. The Cheder seeks parents’ cooperation in impressing on the children the importance of arriving at Cheder on time. By ensuring that your son arrives on time, you are sending the vital message that punctuality is important, and that every minute of תפילה and learning time is precious. Children who arrive late lose valuable instructional time and disturb the vital תפילה and/or learning of the entire class. CANCELLATION OF CLASSES As a general rule, the Cheder is open for learning every day. If there is unusually inclement (dangerous) weather necessitating the cancellation of classes, parents can call the Cheder at extension 333 to find out if the Cheder is open. LEAVING Parents are encouraged to make dental and medical appointments after Cheder hours. However, if it is necessary for a תלמיד to leave Cheder during the day, please send a note to his Rebbi/Teacher at the beginning of the day notifying him/her as to the time of dismissal and the reason for dismissal. If you wish to dismiss your son during לימודי חול, please phone our office and notify the secretary when the dismissal will be as well as the reason for dismissal. Please be aware that dismissal during Cheder hours may be subject to approval from the Menahel/S’gan Menahel/General Studies Supervisor. Upon arriving at the Cheder to pick up your son, please come to the office to request his dismissal. He will then be called to the office to sign out; parents will not be permitted to go to the classroom to pick up their child. Upon returning, he should report back to the office and sign in. Please notify your carpool driver directly, if your child is absent or is being picked up early to avoid any unnecessary delay in carpool. PROLONGED ABSENCE – LATE ARRIVAL תלמידים may not leave Cheder for unscheduled prolonged vacations and must attend classes until the conclusion of our calendar schedule. Exceptions have been made on occasion due to unusual circumstances, but it is imperative that you consult with the Menahel/S’gan Menahel before making your travel plans (i.e. airplane tickets). A note from home should be sent along to explain all absences. תלמידים returning from a prolonged absence due to illness should bring a doctor’s note. The Menahel/S’gan Menahel should be notified prior to taking a תלמיד out of Cheder for any reason. If your child will be absent for any length of time, please notify the Rebbi/Teacher as well so that schoolwork and assignments can be sent home to be completed upon your son’s return. If a תלמיד arrives at least 15 minutes after Cheder begins, he should go to the Main Office, where he will receive a late note to be given to his Rebbi/Teacher. We would also like to inform parents of our longstanding commitment to being an 11 month Cheder. Parents must call the Menahel/S’gan Menahel to discuss summer plans that interfere with learning at the Cheder, with no exceptions. Our policy for attending overnight camp during summer session in July is as follows: Obviously, we would like parents to schedule overnight camp only for August. If parents wish to send their son to camp for two months, they may do so after a discussion with the Menahel/S’gan Menahel. If they are planning to send for one month, it must be done in August only. We are proud to provide our talmidim with an exciting and stimulating afternoon program. While attendance at Camp Chazak is not mandatory, we encourage all of our talmidim from P1A-7 to attend. Please: Family trips should be taken during designated vacation days only.* I have read and agree to the above* Dress CodeWe cannot stress enough the importance of the way one dresses – especially in Cheder. It is not enough for one to act like a בן תורה – one must look like one as well. When one feels from the way he dresses that he is a special part of the 'עם ה, he will most definitely act and talk in a more refined way. The following is what is expected from our talmidim: SHIRTS תלמידים of 'כיתות ג'-ח are required to have a collar on all shirts. Solid color sweatshirts (see below) or sweaters may be worn. T-shirts, shirts with pictures, messages, numbers or over-sized logos are not permitted in any כתה. בר מצוה bochurim, from when they start wearing תפילין, are expected to wear a white shirt – without any colour (including on the collar, button hole stitching, or sleeves, etc...). On ראש חודש all תלמידים are asked to wear white shirts in order to show proper כבוד for the day. PANTS For 'כתות א and up, pants should be dark coloured, loose fitting and not straight or tight. This excludes jogging pants, cargo pants, soft cotton pants, jeans or sports uniforms. Shorts that cover the knee are permitted for Talmidim through 'כתה ג. YARMULKES Yarmulkes should be of a dark color (black, blue) large enough to cover the slope of the head and not merely be sitting on top. Only Hebrew letters or words, or pictures of a Yiddishe nature may be on the Yarmulke. No bobby pins may be worn, except during recess time or gym.SHOES Leather shoes or sneakers should be a dark colour. For כתות ו'-ח they must be all black, without any traces of white or any other colour, including the bottom of the shoe. High top sneakers, crocs, natives, heelies, shoes that light up and the like should not be worn. Baseball caps – not bearing any sport team logos - may be worn outside only, or in the gym. בר מצוה Bochurim – in addition to wearing a completely white shirt - are expected to wear a hat and jacket. Hats and jackets must be worn during davening and should be worn whenever they leave the building and are out on the street. We respectfully insist that the בר מצוה Bochurim wear their hats and jackets to and from Mishmor the entire year (even when we won’t daven מעריב due to the late זמנים). SWEATSHIRTS The only sweatshirt that is allowed to be worn with writing is the Cheder sweatshirt. Any other sweatshirts with pictures, words, logos, may not be worn. Sweaters of a dark colour that have no writing or pictures at all, may be worn after consulting with the Menahel/S’gan Menahel. ‘Cheder Sweatshirts’ can be ordered through the Cheder office or website by clicking here. If you place your order now, we can have the sweatshirts ready for the new school year, אי"ה. Please avoid the frustration of buying clothing or shoes that do not fit these guidelines and being told that they will not be permitted to be worn at the Cheder. We thank you in advance for your cooperation and sensitivity in these matters. Because it is very difficult to give a complete set of dress code guidelines, please understand that it will remain at the discretion of the הנהלה to determine whether a particular item is considered appropriate dress style for the school. We are confident that we will have your complete cooperation since we trust that our parent body wants an atmosphere that reflects the תורה values of dignity and refinement. In line with this, we respectfully request that all relatives of our תלמידים come to school dressed in a manner befitting the atmosphere of our Cheder. We request that women adhere to strict הלכה guidelines. In general, dressing in a bakovodik manner reflects sensitivity to the קדושה and דרך ארץ of our Cheder as a מקום תורה. The office will notify parents whose children arrive in clothing that do not conform to the dress code. They will be asked to bring a change of clothing to Cheder – but if not possible, reminded to send their children in the appropriate clothing on the next day. * I have read and agree to the above* General InfoGAMES AND GADGETS, etc... Certain play items that Talmidim may want to bring to Cheder are disruptive and not in the spirit of our Cheder. These items include (but are not limited to) radios, CD players, MP3 players, iPods, PSPs, DS’s, cell phones, smart watches, all types of “fit bits” and smart watches, walkie-talkies, action figures, laser pointers, toy guns, sports cards, playing cards (with exceptions), and any other cards or electronic devices and games of this nature. These items will also not be permitted on any kind of Cheder outing or trip. Any of these items brought to Cheder will be confiscated and you may contact the Cheder office regarding their return. During the winter months, The Mothers Association graciously provides alternative games and activities such as chess and checkers, and various board games.BUYING, SELLING, EXCHANGING For numerous reasons, Cheder policy prohibits תלמידים from buying, selling and exchanging snacks or any other non-food items. Items being sold and the money involved will be confiscated and returned to the parents. As well, please instruct your child to not share his snacks (for various health/allergy sensitivities).LIBRARY AND READING MATERIAL In the not too distant past, it was considered acceptable to drop children off at the public library and leave them there unattended to pick out books for school projects, or to read at home for enjoyment. The sad state of affairs is that times have changed. Due to the more recent proliferation of inappropriate reading material found in the public library, we strongly urge that you allow your son to visit the library only during the hours when he may be supervised by you. Easy access to books and magazines, as well as unrestricted internet enabled computers containing inappropriate material for a בן תורה are just some of the dangers present at the public library. We are responsible for the רוחניות well-being of our children, just as we are for their physical well-being. Just as we do not take chances with the physical safety of our children, we must not take risks with their רוחניות well-being. In addition, please be aware that when choosing books, parental discretion must be exercised not only for novels, but for research material on various topics, as well. Many books contain objectionable subject matter to which we dare not expose our children. If a child wishes to bring a novel to read in school during his free time, he must first have the book approved by the הנהלה.* I have read and agree to the above* HEALTH CARE All medical forms must be completed and returned. Each תלמיד is required to be in compliance with provincial immunization regulations. If a parent does not wish to vaccinate their child OR if the Cheder does not have your child’s/children’s up to date immunization record before the beginning of the school year, your child will not be permitted to attend Cheder. The Cheder should be notified if your children have been exposed to or are ill with any contagious disease. We ask for your complete cooperation in keeping your children at home in the instance of inflamed throat or eye, rash or fever in the preceding twenty-four hours. Head lice are a nuisance that must be caught immediately so that epidemic conditions do not occur. Please take the following precautions: Parents are responsible to check their children for lice before the school year begins and to ensure that they are lice free. TLC- The Lice Crew will be conducting a lice check on the third day of Cheder.* I have read and agree to the above* LUNCH AND SNACKS A nutritious lunch and snack (and a good breakfast, too!) are imperative to effective learning. We will be providing hot lunches Sunday through Thursday. We ask for parents’ cooperation when sending along milchige snacks: Please see to it that all such snacks are חלב ישראל. All refreshments, snacks, food items, etc... sent to school to be shared with the class (i.e. סיומים, parties) must be פרווה or חלב ישראל, ישן and meet the standards of the ועד הכשרות of Toronto. Gum is not permitted on Cheder grounds. We also ask parents to not bring nor deliver any hot lunches during the school day. (Please note: For safety reasons, only תלמידים from 'כתה א and higher are permitted to bring instant soup from home.) MONEY Please do not send money to school with your children, unless it is for a specific reason (ie: bus). Younger תלמידים especially are not responsible with money, and often lose it or give it away. As a rule, the office does not lend money to talmidim.PEANUT/NUT-FREE POLICY The Cheder is a peanut/nut free school. We have several children in our school who are SEVERELY allergic to peanuts/nuts. (Even the smell of nuts can trigger a severe allergic reaction.) We ask that any and all food items brought to school be peanut/nut free. (e.g. peanut butter, chocolate bars with nuts, Nature Valley granola bars, etc.,). Any boy who mistakenly brings an item containing nuts will be asked to turn it into the office. Please keep this policy in mind when choosing birthday cakes, etc...VISITING THE CHEDER Parents wishing to come to Cheder to drop off a snack or money etc. for their children, are asked to leave it with the school office where it will be given to the תלמיד as soon as possible. We cannot allow parents to disturb classes to talk with their children. As well, we ask that you kindly refrain from escorting your son through the halls of the Cheder on the way to his classroom. Should parents feel it necessary to speak to a Rebbe/teacher about a specific incident, they are asked to contact the Cheder office to arrange an appointment.* I have read and agree to the above* Technology - KedushaTELEVISION, VIDEOS, MOVIES, STREAMING MEDIA, INTERNET and ATTENDING SPORTING EVENTS OR CONCERTS ב''ה, we have been fortunate to produce many wonderful תלמידים over the years, who are a true נחת to the רבש"ע and all of כלל ישראל. However, this has become increasingly challenging in the recent years, due to the very negative influence of the media - specifically television, videos, movies, internet and social media/gaming. The immoral values of the street portrayed openly through these media are objectionable and counterproductive to the short-term development of a בן תורה at best, and, at worst, destructive and damaging to the נשמה in the long term. We cannot over-emphasize how difficult it is to be משפיע on talmidim who are exposed to טומאה and indecent material. Aside from the fact that these boys are not accomplishing what they could in their learning, their conversation and general attitude are affected and have an adverse influence on other תלמידים as well. The objective of the Toronto Cheder is to develop the skills of our תלמידים and create an אהבת התורה with a שמחת החיים within an atmosphere of קדושה. It has been universally acknowledged by גדולי ישראל, רבנים and אדמורים that Television, Videos, Movies, Internet, Streaming Media and Social Media/Gaming are a danger to קדושת ישראל, inhibit the concentration of children and atrophy their sense of morality. We endeavor to have a student body that is not exposed to Television, Videos, Movies, Internet and Social Media/Gaming whether at home or elsewhere. The policy of the Toronto Cheder is that Television, Videos, Movies (in any form – streaming or downloaded included), Internet, all forms of social media/messaging and social gaming are not permitted. All parents, upon registration, accept upon themselves to ban the use of Television, Videos, Movies and Internet. The Internet form must be signed and updated before the start of each year. Viewing or attending sporting events or concerts is אסור בהחלט, and may be grounds for suspension from the Cheder until the issue is rectified. We trust that our parent body will adhere to this commitment. PLEASE BE OUR PARTNERS in successfully developing the חינוך of our most precious children. We appeal to you to comply with the Cheder Registration Guidelines and exercise strict control regarding the above-mentioned media, particularly with access to the Internet, whose potential force of destruction goes beyond the imagination. It is the expressed opinion of the ועד החינוך that the repeated violation of the above mentioned policy will be grounds for expulsion from the Cheder. Please work together with us to maintain the highest standards of תורה, טהרה, קדושה and צניעות for which כלל ישראל has been מוסר נפש throughout the generations. * I have read and agree to the above* SPORTS LEAGUES It is generally accepted that sports activity provides good exercise and promotes teamwork. However, as per the פסק of the ועד החינוך, no תלמיד may play in organized sports leagues outside the Cheder – even if the league is comprised of all boys. * I have read and agree to the above* IN CLOSING... We take tremendous pride in having the opportunity to partner with you in being mechanech the future generations of כלל ישראל. Only by working together in unison can we accomplish our dreams and goals of nurturing our children to their utmost potential. We look forward to providing them with unparalleled chinuch in both our לימודי קודש and לימודי חול departments and daven for success in fulfilling our sacred mission. We thank you for your partnership and cooperation and look forward to a tremendous year of growth. We look forward to renewing that partnership in the coming year and truly look forward to sharing the נחת of seeing your children grow into בנים עוסקים בתורה ובמצוות! Please note that the Policies and Guidelines must be signed before the first day of ChederAddress Street Address Parent 1 Name* First Last Parent 2 Name* First Last TALMID’S NAME ('כתות ה'-ח) First Last
